“I am pleased to announce these additional funds for Hidalgo County road projects,” Congressman Cuellar said. “I thank the Valley delegation and our U.S. senators for their great work on this bill. Thanks to the federal highway bill, Texas is estimated to receive more than $18 billion over the next five years. That is $2 billion more than provided under current funding levels. The Hidalgo County road projects will include work on US 281 and US 283, both local roads used daily by Hidalgo County residents and travelers. These road improvement projects will help the commuting experience for local residents and enhance the flow of commercial traffic through the county.

“Since 2000, the population of Hidalgo County has increased from 569,463 to approximately 831,073, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, a population increase of 46 percent. This has led to a boom in traffic that slows down private vehicle traffic as well as the commercial traffic that drives the county’s economy. This is why the new federal highway authorization legislation is so vitally important to Hidalgo County.”

The federal highway authorization bill was passed last week by both the House and Senate with resounding majorities. The bipartisan legislation was the first long-term highway authorization bill to be passed by Congress since MAP-21 in 2012.